Guard-finger fastening



Jan. 15,1928.

F. CRAWFORD GUARD FINGER FASTENING Filed June 8. 1926 fled fret/vars?Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNI ED STATES FRED CRAWFORD, OF PROSSER, WASHINGTON.

GUARDFINGER FASTENING.

Application filed June 8, 1926. Serial No. 114,507.

' This invention relates to harvesters and has special reference to themeans for securing a guard finger to a finger bar, the

object being to provide a simple and inexpensive means for eflicientlysecuring the guard finger to the bar, which means may be easilymanipulated to secure or permitremoval of a guard finger as may be desired. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and willbe hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan View, partly in horizontal section, of a portion of afinger bar and guard finger mounted thereon in accordance with mypresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of a fingerbar which may be of the usual or any preferred construction providingrecesses or openings 2 therethrough at intervals to receive the rearends of the guard fingers and the means for securing the guard fingersin place. The guard fingers, shown at 3, are of the usual 30 form andare constructed at their rear ends with fiat-faced shanks 4 which are ofsuch dimensions as to fit closely between the top and bottom walls ofthe respective openings 2 and are constructed with one side edge 5 at aright angle to the rear end so that it will fit closely against theadjacent side wall of the opening. The opposite side edge of the shank 4is beveled downwardly, as shown at 6, and is also disposed at'an angleto the longitudinal axis of the guard finger as shown at 7 that is tosay, the said side converges forwardly toward the side edge 5. The shank4 is of less vertical dimension than the portion of the guard fingerimme diately in advance of the shank so that a vertical shoulder 8 isprovided to abut the front edge of the finger bar at the opening 2therethrough. The clamping bolt 9 has a threaded rear extremity, asshown at 10, upon which is fitted a nut 11 adapted to be turned homeagainst the rear edge of the finger bar whereby to secure the parts inplace. The forward portion of the bolt is expanded laterally so as toacquire a tapered formation having flat faces, whereby it is adapted tofit closely between the top and bottom walls of the opening 2 throughwhich it is inserted, and also to form an oblique side face 12 to matewith the side edge 6 of the finger shank 4.

When a guard finger is to be secured to the finger bar, the securingbolt 9 is assembled with the shank of the finger and the bolt and theshank are then inserted rearwardly through the proper opening 2 in thefinger bar. The rearward movement of the finger will, of course, bearrested -by the shoulder 8 thereon abutting the front edge of thefinger bar. The nut 11 is then fitted upon the bolt, the rear threadedextremity of which will project rearwardly beyond the finger bar, andthe nut is then turned home against the finger bar. The engagement ofthe nut against the rear edge of the finger bar will cause the bolt tomove rearwardly and the tapered or wedge-shaped form of the frontportion of the bolt, cooperating with the mating portion of the guardfinger shank, will bind or clamp the shank firmly against the side wallof the opening through the finger bar. The several guard fingers maythus be very rapidly and easily secured in place, and, if any one guardfinger should be broken, the broken finger may be very easily removedand a new finger substituted therefor without requiring the dismantlingof the entire machine and without any appreciable loss of time. Toremove a broken finger, it is necessary merely to remove the nut 11,whereupon the bolt and the guard finger may be very easily pushedforward from the opening in the finger bar. The securing bolt will havean extended engagement with the shank of the guard finger and thisextended engagement will serve to very effectually bind the shank in theopening provided therefor. It is not necessary to form openings throughthe guard finger to receive securing bolts and weakening of the fingeris thereby avoided.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

The combination with a finger bar having an opening therethroughprovided with parallel side walls, of a guard finger having a reducedshank at its rear end and a vertical shoulder on its under side at thefront end of said shank whereby the shank may be inserted in the openingin the finger bar with said shoulder abutting the front face of thefinger bar, the guard finger shank being sub stantially wedge shapedwith one side face parallel to the walls of the opening in the fingerbar and its other side face extending rearwardly in diverging relationto the firstm'entioned side face and downwardly in converging relationthereto, and a securing bolt fitted through the opening in the fingerbar @Ween the shank and an adjacent side of the said opening, theforward portion of the said bolt being Wedge-shaped and having one sideface engaging the adjacent side wall of. the opening in the finger barand its other side face in flat contacting engagement with thelast-mentioned face of said shank, the

rear extremity of the same being threaded finger shank in the openingthrough the 2 finger bar.

.In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature.

FRED CRAWFORD. [1,. 5.]

